Slavic Gospel Association Australia

09/03/2022

Living Out the Gospel in War-torn Ukraine
By Ruslan S. - SGA-Sponsored Missionary Pastor in Ukraine

Peace to you! Thank you for your prayers for us. At this time, we are in southern Ukraine with the whole family. And we do our best to help people who need our help in southern Ukraine. It is more or less calm so far, although today a rocket flew into one of the villages, 20 km from our city. Unfortunately, there are victims.

Our church has started a project called “Jesus Loves You” — the purpose of which is to convey the Gospel in the realities of war through various types of service and help to people in our city, namely:

1. Assistance in the departure of women and children to a safe place. We receive a lot of calls asking for help to leave the city. Some people are so frightened that they begin to cry and ask us for help to get them out. Only tomorrow we will need to evacuate more than 50 people with children. And when they hear that we do this without any payment, for the sake of Christ, they cannot fully understand this and this is a good opportunity to tell them about God's love, which is unconditional for all people.

2. Grocery packages. Yesterday a woman called and asked us to help her with groceries. She told her story that her husband and father died in the Donbass. Today they called again with a request to come to them and at least somehow help with groceries. Food prices have skyrocketed. Yesterday I had to watch a picture of how some elderly people went into the store and looked at the prices and went back without being able to buy anything.

3. Organized daily hot meals in the church for everyone. Today a man came who told us that he was hungry and wanted to eat very much.

4. We are preparing a shelter in the basement for 50 people in case of active hostilities.

5. We form a team and purchase the necessary medicines to provide first aid in case of shelling of residential areas.

6. Printing and distribution of brochures with Bible texts about comfort and hope in God.

Thank you for being with us in this ministry.

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Details about how to donate can be found at http://www.sga.org.au/donate.html

25/02/2022

Partners in the Gospel,

I’m sure most of you are aware by now of the grim news of war between Russia and Ukraine that broke overnight. This situation has dominated the news headlines for many days. We are very concerned for the churches in harm’s way that we serve in both countries, and I’m writing to ask you to continually lift our brothers and sisters in prayer during the coming days and weeks. They are in a very difficult situation for themselves and their families, and yet ministering to others in the love of Christ is always foremost.

When the conflict began in eastern Ukraine back in 2014, SGA partners generously enabled us to help the churches respond to thousands of refugees that flooded into other parts of Ukraine and into Russia. This network of churches is already in readiness, and because of this we can respond rapidly in specific locations. In fact, we have already helped them render aid to refugees that have come into western Ukraine and into southern Russia. This flood of refugees is already increasing on a massive scale.

In the face of this conflict, our goal is the same as it was in 2014—to equip the churches for sustained Gospel and Compassion Ministry to their people. The lives of refugees are shattered, and they are looking for hope—hope that the churches can give them as they share the love of Christ. On that note, please pray for these needy individuals and families that have already fled to other locations, asking the Lord to open their hearts to the Gospel. Pray for the pastors and church teams being equipped by SGA to make often dangerous visits into the conflict zones to carry out Compassion Ministry. Ask the Lord to protect them and guide them as they minister. Lift up the need for the ongoing resources that will be necessary—the numbers of people we will need to help are already growing exponentially.

Above all, please pray for peace. Pray that God will use this tragic situation to draw many to Himself in saving faith. We will do our best to keep you appraised as events warrant. Thank you in advance!

Michael Johnson
President, SGA United States

18/05/2020

COFFEE BREAK MINI NEWS:

SOVIET-ERA MEMORIES COME BACK...

During the days of the Soviet Union, God’s Word was broadcast by SGA over shortwave radio to faithful believers gathered around a radio in their homes. In a similar manner, the COVID-19 pandemic and forced isolation at home has led us back to such times.

Pastor Gregory Berg, an SGA-sponsored pastor in Murmansk, Russia, writes...

“The world changed during the last few weeks. Things changed here too. We did not have a church service last Sunday in our House of Prayer and this is the first time that has happened as far as I can remember. We stayed at home and held our church services online. It reminds me of something, but what? I remembered the 1970s under communism. (It was so long ago!). Many believers used to buy portable radio sets so they could listen to the Christian programs of that time. The broadcasts were not clear but people tried to catch each word and listened very attentively sitting by the radios. Some asked us to keep silent and we all tried to get closer to the radio to catch each word in the midst of a noisy signal. I still have that mental image although almost 50 years have passed. As it is said in Ecclesiastes, there is nothing new under the sun. Perhaps the time for a family meeting has come when we will listen again and discuss the texts.”



As the faithful endured in the midst of persecution, so too we must hold fast in the midst of the trials of these days to the precious Word of God.

15/05/2020

COFFEE BREAK MINI NEWS:
EVANGELISM IN RUSSIA
Sometimes as they say, “When it rains, it pours!” For many in Russia, it seems that the troubling difficulties of life can just stack up all at once. But often God uses those trying times to touch our hearts in unexpected ways. An SGA-sponsored missionary was visiting a man named Dima with food that was provided through Christ Over COVID.

Dima said, “A few years ago our family was displaced from Donetsk, where a war is now going on. Last year, we went back to recover some documents and my father died of a heart attack. Right after that my mother became ill, and she is often in and out of the hospital. We moved to the city of Rossosh, Russia, and worked for a private company. We could support our mother until my brother and I lost our jobs. We were sick, and now we are quarantined in self-isolation. We are thankful for the opportunity to hear the encouraging message about God and His plan for each person, and for helping us with food. May God be a help for you, as you bring light and hope to people!”

News about Christian ministries in the former Soviet Union.

13/05/2020

COFFEE BREAK MINI NEWS:
EVANGELISM IN UKRAINE
An SGA-sponsored missionary writes... “We are grateful to the Lord for the circumstances in which we all have found ourselves today. It’s not just a different rhythm of life, but it is a different, unusual way to carry out the ministry of expanding the Kingdom of God.”

“For more than a month now, the Ukrainian people and churches across the country have been quarantined, keeping certain restrictions recommended by the Government. So now I go to visit those in my church and speak to them through video streaming. I went to visit a husband and wife who are both about 80 years old. Their children live in the eastern Ukraine war zone and cannot help. Maria is our sister in Christ, but her husband Konstantin isn’t a believer yet. In early April, I visited them at their home and brought them a parcel with the most necessary food items. They were very happy to have a visitor. After I had shared the Lord's Supper with Maria, I had the opportunity to spend time talking with Konstantin. We spoke about God and His free gift of salvation. It is in this new rhythm of life that our Lord has brought us into that we still see reasons to be grateful, reasons to rejoice in our Lord.”

Evangelism in Ukraine can be financially supported through SGA.

News about Christian ministries in the former Soviet Union.

11/05/2020

COFFEE BREAK MINI NEWS:
PASTORS DELIVERING FOOD
I want to share with you one story of a missionary pastor. Much like the faithful men who proclaimed Christ under great persecution during the days of the Soviet Union, these men continue on today in the face of this global pandemic without hesitation.
Alexander writes, “I want to share how we are carrying out our ministry in this unusual time. One of the ministries we now have is to help those who need to buy groceries and cannot get to the store. We pick up people from their homes, take them to the store, and bring them back home. This way I can serve people and tell them about Christ as I have them with me. And at the same time, there are those who find themselves in a difficult financial situation. This is an opportunity for me to buy food at the store and deliver it to their homes and share the Gospel with them. I do this for the glory of God and for the testimony of His name.”
Let's pray for missionary pastors like Alexander who faithfully serve even though there is risk to themselves and their family.
Let's pray for open doors for these faithful missionary pastors to continue to reach out to people in need with much needed food and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let's pray that the hearts of those who receive this aid and the Gospel are softened by God and turn to Him in life-saving faith!

News about Christian ministries in the former Soviet Union.

08/05/2020

COFFEE BREAK MINI NEWS:

ORPHANS SENT HOME FROM ORPHANAGES

In the midst of the quarantine and isolation that many of us are experiencing, pause for a moment and consider what quarantine has meant for many orphan children across Russia and her neighbouring countries. Many orphans from families who have not yet lost their parental rights reside in shelters or boarding schools until the courts decide the path forward. During quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these kids were sent back to their dysfunctional homes.

One church-based team supported through Orphans Reborn writes, “We visited about 50 of these orphan children who are staying now with their families. We were appalled at the terrible conditions these children are living in now. The children asked us and prayed that they would be taken back to the boarding school as soon as possible, because in the boarding school they always had food available for them. As for the parents of these children, they are alcoholics and the children are left without any supervision, hungry without food, and in unsanitary conditions. We purchased food, detergents—everything we could for them. If it is possible to help us with these additional expenses, we would be glad to receive it!”

By God’s grace, these dear children are not forgotten and God has raised up believers to intercede on their behalf with love and care. Faithful people on the other side of the world can join them in responding to their needs through SGA.

News about Christian ministries in the former Soviet Union.

29/04/2020

COFFEE BREAK MINI NEWS:
'PASTOR COACHING RUGBY TEAM TO HELP YOUTH'
- from Pastor Segei Kopot, Russia
"Thank you again for your prayer and financial support of our ministry... In addition to serving in the church, you may remember I’m involved in coaching a rugby team for disadvantaged youth. But things don’t always go smoothly... I have to deal with problems such as fundraising for tournaments (and given that most are children from poor families, this is especially hard). So we very rarely get to go out to play against other teams.

"Coaching young people and children takes up most of my time. As a trainer, I need to talk and help solve their problems. But praise God! Some of them came to our Christian camp this summer. Apparently they liked it very much, and their parents also responded well. So please pray for our team of guys and girls, that God would give me wisdom in my relations with them."

14/04/2020

A message from our American partners...
SGA Australia is working closely with the US office to give support to Slavic churches ministering to those affected by the virus and its associated economic impact. Please join us in prayer and, where possible, with financial help.

This is "SGA-Christ over COVID MPMP" by Slavic Gospel on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

27/03/2020

There are many challenges across Russia and her neighboring countries, and now - just like here in Australia - the coronavirus pandemic is spreading across the region. This has created regions of humanitarian urgency. Today you can join with faithful churches in the former Soviet Union to provide food, clothes, and medicine to these hurting people—and most important of all, the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Please give to the 2020 COMPASSION MINISTRY FUND and help give a hurting soul urgent relief... and eternal salvation!

You can find out how to give here: www.sga.org.au/donate.html

23/03/2020

GOOD NEWS!
GOD HELPS SERGEI BREAK THE POWER OF ALCOHOL
Praise God for the salvation of another lost soul! Through the dedicated ministry of SGA-sponsored Vitaliy and his wife, an alcoholic man has walked away from liquor and into a new life in Christ! SGA supports many pastors such as Vitaliy, so they can devote themselves to fulltime ministry. And we get so excited when we hear about another life changed by the power of God! Here’s what Vitaliy wrote...

“Thank you for your support and perseverance. All these years of our ministry can be called the best years of our lives as we serve the Lord where He wants us to be! Recently, I spent some time in the hospital not long ago with blood pressure and heart issues. My mother is terminally ill, and it has been very stressful. The day after I got home, I received a call from the husband of one of our church members. Sergei is in his early forties, and is a very good carpenter. But he’s also been struggling with alcohol addiction, so he called me to ask for help. Sergei realised that if he didn’t stop drinking, he would die. He said his wife was very angry because he had sold their valuables in order to buy liquor.

“I felt the need to help him, even though church members were expressing concern for my health. Even so, I decided to live with him at the church while he went through his withdrawals. My wife cooked for us, but Sergei couldn’t eat anything. He was suffering the worst withdrawals you could imagine. I even called for an ambulance twice, because I thought he was about to die right there. But, as we continued washing his clothes, making him tea and bringing him milk, little by little he began to eat.

“Members of the church also came to help, and a week later, Sergei’s wife came and took him home. The following Sunday, they were both in church and Sergei came forward to repent of his sins. I kneeled next to him, rejoicing over God’s mercy! Sergei comes to church now, and is preparing for baptism!”

12/03/2020

COFFEE BREAK MINI NEWS:
AUDIO-BIBLE PROJECT, UKRAINE
Dear friends, brothers and sisters in Christ!
Let me share with you about a very special and needed ministry project we would like to do...

We would like to provide audio-Bibles for those who can’t read, but would like to listen to the Bible. We have a desire to distribute battery-powered mp3-players in the villages where we do our ministry - especially to the elderly and visually-impared people who would like to listen to God`s Word.
We understand that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17) and very often we meet people in nursing homes, hospitals or living alone, who are so open to faith and positive toward Christianity. These audio-Bibles would make great presents to give such people. How much peace and joy the Word of God will bring to their hearts!
The mp3-players we propose to get would contain an audio-version of the Bible, plus sermons, songs, testimonies and other audio books to help each person know the truth and discover more and more about it! We estimate each player would cost $16.00.

If you can help to purchase just one, or a few sets, it would be very helpful and we would appreciate your help very much!

Yours in Christ, and in ministry for Him in Ukrainian villages - Nickolai Kukushkin